Christian- Muslim relations discussed

One of the nation's top experts on Islam will address the topic 'Christian-Muslim Relations in the 21st Century' in a lecture sponsored by Grand Valley's Middle East Studies Program.

John Esposito, founding director of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, will speak at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, at the Cook-DeWitt Center on Grand Valley's Allendale Campus. His presentation is open to the public free of charge.

The topic is significant for understanding not only current, but future interactions between two of the world's largest religions, said James Goode, coordinator of the Middle East Studies Program at Grand Valley. Muslims and Christians have interacted as individuals and civilizations for 14 centuries, Goode pointed out, and the nature of their relations today plays an important part in determining the future: whether it will involve a great clash or a successful dialogue between people of different beliefs. Esposito's talk will focus on the nature of these relations in the 21st century.

Esposito is the author of more than a dozen books on Islam and is the editor-in-chief of the four-volume 'Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World' and the 'Oxford History of Islam.' His books, translated into Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Japanese, Chinese, and European languages, include 'The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality?,' 'Islam and Politics,' and many others.

A former president of the Middle East Studies Association of North America and a professor of religion and international affairs at Georgetown University, Esposito founded the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding in 1993 to foster a better understanding of Islam and of Muslim-Christian relations in the West. He is also a consultant to the U.S. Department of State and to corporations, universities, and the media worldwide.

Esposito is widely interviewed or quoted in the media, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN and network news stations, NPR, BBC, and in media throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.